I don't actually watch enough NFL (cuz sux), so I guess I haven't really noticed a general decline in quality. Just notice that the Bears blow in every conceivable way. Are there any metrics actually backing this up or just a general observation that the play seems to be shittier?

I don't actually watch enough NFL (cuz sux), so I guess I haven't really noticed a general decline in quality. Just notice that the Bears blow in every conceivable way. Are there any metrics actually backing this up or just a general observation that the play seems to be shittier?

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The basic premise of the article is that the league is getting younger, and that is negatively impacting the game because players just out of college aren't getting taught proper techniques. As an example, all too often safeties in the NCAA are converted linebackers. Which is great when defending against the run, and college offenses that maybe don't throw the ball downfield as much. Once they get to the NFL, these safeties have barely any type of coverage skills so that has be taught, because they've never been asked to do that.

Seems to be a pretty subjective "footbally" judgement on the younger players. It actually seems to me that based on the people they interviewed, you might see the NFL push to keep players in college all four years.

That S argument doesn't make a lot of sense. Back in the "good old days of quality NFL play," most college teams ran like 85% of the time and never used spread formations. The SS often was an extra LB assigned man coverage against blocking TE. How much coverage experience were they getting then?

DB in general seems to be a much deeper position now because college coaches put great athletes there who would've been WR or option QBs and shit back in the day.